The freedom to park in places allocated specifically for Persons with Disabilities is a privilege, and in the United States it is regulated according to law. While there are minor variations to the laws between states in America, the laws follow some basic lines. The laws supporting disability parking privileges are there to ensure that Persons with Disabilities have access to parking that does not present an undue hardship. With parking lots that have grown in size these privileges are a significant help.
If you have either a temporary or a permanent disability and it impairs your ability to walk, or your disability presents concerns for your safety as you walk, the Motor Vehicle Department in your state can provide you with a placard that allows you to use parking spaces reserved for persons with disabilities. For people who have permanent disabilities, there is also the option of obtaining disability license plates. Both the license plates and the placards have the International Symbol of Access on them and permit you to park in disabled parking spaces in every state in America, as well as in other countries. You can apply for disabled plates or placards at any Motor Vehicle customer service center.
Disabled parking plates and placards are available for organizations and institutions that provide transportation for persons with disabilities through the Motor Vehicle Department in their state. The requirement for the organization or institution is that they must be a non-profit entity. Any business that either directly or indirectly charges a fee for their services is not eligible.
Temporary parking placards are generally only valid for a short period of time, usually about six months depending on the state. In order to be eligible for a temporary disabled parking placard you must have a physician, or in some states, a physician's assistant, nurse practitioner, chiropractor or podiatrist complete the appropriate medical forms. The medical personnel who completes the form required by the state you want to receive a placard from must also designate the approximate amount of time your temporary disability will last.
Temporary placards expire on the last day of the month and year indicated on them. If, after the date the placard has expired, you are still temporarily disabled, your physician or other qualified medical personnel can re-certify that you are still disabled and you can obtain another placard from your state. Temporary placards are usually red and easily identified by parking enforcement personnel, so it is wise to keep them up to date if you are still temporarily disabled.
For people who have permanent disabilities, the Motor Vehicle Departments in America offer permanent placards that are valid for a longer period of time, usually three years. To obtain one, you need the appropriate form filled out by your physician or other qualified medical personnel in your state. A permanent disability is considered one that either limits or impairs a person's ability to move from one place to another or walk, and has reached the maximum level of improvement and is not expected to change with additional treatment.
When a permanent placard expires, you can replace it again without having to go through the recertification process. The same is true for non-profit organizations that transport persons with disabilities. Like their temporary counterparts, permanent placards expire on the last day of the month and year indicated.
Disabled parking plates are also available, and are an option for persons whose physician or other medical personnel have found them to be permanently disabled in agreement with their state's requirements. Like the placards, disabled parking plates bear the International Access Symbol. The owner of a car with disabled parking plates can be the person with the disability, a parent or guardian of a person with a disability, or a non-profit organization that transports persons with disabilities. The plates are valid until the registration on your vehicle expires.
For Veterans, there are license plates available with the International Symbol of Access. The rules regarding these license plates vary from state to state, so researching the requirements of your particular state is essential. In the state of Colorado, for example, you must have a disability rating from the Veteran's Administration of at least 50% in order to obtain a Disabled Veteran license plate through the Motor Vehicle Department. In order to obtain a Disabled Veteran plate in any state, you must have a specific form filled out from your physician through the Veteran's Administration.
With your disabled parking placard or plates you can park in any parking place that is designated for a disabled person. Your disabled parking privileges DO NOT mean that you can park where it is prohibited, or in spaces that are reserved for specifically named vehicles, such as state vehicles. Your disabled parking privileges do not mean that you can park wherever you feel like, or where it would present a traffic hazard.
The form asks the usual basic information, such as your name, address, city, state, zip, driver's license number and when it expires, and date of birth. The bottom half of the page is for use by the medical personnel who will fill it out.
There are five general areas used to qualify a person as disabled:
1. Persons who cannot walk without the aid of another person, a dog guide, a companion dog, a walker, a cane, crutches, braces, prosthesis, or a wheelchair.
2. Persons are mobility impaired by best corrected central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye as measured by the Snellen Test, OR persons who have central visual acuity better than 20/200 with a limitation of the field of vision such that the widest diameter of the visual field subtends an angle of 20 or less.
3. Persons who are restricted by a pulmonary condition to the extent that the Arterial Oxygen Saturation, on room air, at rest, is 90% or less or the patient desaturates to 90% or less on mild exercise, OR who use prescribed portable oxygen during the day.
4. Persons who have a cardiac condition to the extent that the person's functional limitations are classified as class III or IV according to the standards of the New York Heart Association.
5. Persons who have a disability that would be aggravated by walking 150 to 200 feet under normal environmental conditions and a resultant mobility impairment of the same degree as described in the four criteria above.
Underneath these statements which the doctor must choose from are lines for the doctor's signature, address, city, state, zip, phone number and check boxes for the doctor to designate whether the disability is permanent or temporary. There is also a line for the doctor's medical license number. The form must be dated, and turned in to the Motor Vehicle Department.
Article Source:
http://Disabled-World.com
